TOUGH CHOICES
TOUGH TIMES
THE REPORT OF THE fietV COMMISSION ON THE SKILLS OF THE AMERICAN WORKFORCE,
REVISED AND EXPANDED
National Center On E D U C A T I O N And The Economy
1 JOSSEY-BASS
A Wiley Imprint
www.josseybass.com
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION TO THE REVISED EDITION XV
Marc Tucker, President, National Center on Education and the Economy
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY XXI
PREFACE XXXIX PROLOGUE XLI
PART I :
The Nature of the Challenge Now.
. 1 PART II :The Scenario: The Recommendations as They Might
Look from the Vantage Point of an Observer in 2021 47
COMMENTS 9 6
BACKGROUND PAPERS
Estimates of the Additional Expense and Savings Associated with the Commission's Proposed Reforms in Elementary
and Secondary Education 98
Teachers and Teaching Policy 127
Early Childhood Education 136
The Adult Workforce 139
COMMENTARY ON THE REPORT
"Tough Choices": Change the System, or Suffer the Consequences 150 Marc S. Tucker
"Tough Choices": Radical Ideas, Misguided Assumptions 154 Diane Ravitch
Education's "Grand Departure": Defending the Skills
Commission's Vision for the Future 158 Thomas W. Payzant, Charles B. Reed
Making Tough Choices 160 Marc S. Tucker
The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce:
Old News or New News? 166 Denis P. Doyle
Big Challenges, Bold Ideas 170 Michael J. Petrilli
False Alarm 174 Lawrence Mishel, Richard Rothstein
The Economic Case for Education Reform 180 Marc S. Tucker
Improper Diagnosis, Reckless Treatment 185 Lawrence Mishel, Richard Rothstein
Reckless and Wildly Exaggerated? We Don't Think So!
A Response to Mishel and Rothstein 193 Marc S. Tucker
APPENDIXES
The Study 200 Trustees of the National Center on Education and the Economy 209 Biographies of the Members of the Commission 210 Commission Staff and Associates 220
